Popular RSS aggregation and reading app Reeder received an update on Monday, offering users the ability use it as a standalone reader, while building in support for third-party syncing service Feedbin.

With the scheduled July 1 demise of Google Reader Reeder, a full-featured RSS tool that previously leveraged Google Reader on the backend. In response to Google's decision to axe its RSS syncing platform, developer Silvio Rizzi today released Reeder version 3.1 as part of an ongoing effort to break reliance on the soon to be defunct Google service.

With the update, Reeder can now function as a standalone RSS reader after importing a feed list into the app. Syncing of feeds across devices has yet to be implemented as a native app feature, though Monday's version adds support for Feedbin, a type of Google Reader replacement service that costs $2 per month.

According to the Reeder website, Feedbin support will be extended to the iPad and OS X versions of the app "in the coming months." Until then, Reeder for iPad and Reeder for Mac are now free to download.

Another new feature is pull-to-refresh which, much like Apple's own Mail app, allows users to quickly check for updates with a simple pull-down gesture. Other RSS readers have had this functionality for some time, and the addition is a welcome one for existing users.

As I was using Reeder anyway, I've just signed up for feedbin. Seems to work well between the web and iPhone, though the iPad app doesn't yet support fb.

Interesting note - I had some problems logging in - turned out the email used as user ID is case sensitive. Sent twitter message to @feedbinapp and got a very quick response and my problem was solved by email. Always good to have responsive support behind this sort of service.

For $2 a month per subscriber, you'd think they could afford the feedbin.com domain.

And therein lies the rub...

The problem is that a robust replacement for Google Reader is needed, and so far nobody is really stepping up to the plate. There are a bunch of mickey-mouse players trying to grab some of the scraps instead of a large enough player with significant infrastructure to provide a whole solution to what was lost. Google really screwed a lot of people by destroying all competition in this area and then dumping Reader.

For $2 a month per subscriber, you'd think they could afford the feedbin.com domain.

And therein lies the rub...

The problem is that a robust replacement for Google Reader is needed, and so far nobody is really stepping up to the plate. There are a bunch of mickey-mouse players trying to grab some of the scraps instead of a large enough player with significant infrastructure to provide a whole solution to what was lost.

What part of the Google Reader "whole solution" is absent in Feedbin and that you consider to be necessary? What evidence do you have that their infrastructure isn't "robust" or "significant" enough? Why does the replacement need to be a "large player"?

What part of the Google Reader "whole solution" is absent in Feedbin and that you consider to be necessary? What evidence do you have that their infrastructure isn't "robust" or "significant" enough? Why does the replacement need to be a "large player"?